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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24408508">An extra treat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinWritesChirps/pseuds/RobinWritesChirps'>RobinWritesChirps</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Reality, Coffee Shops, Cookies, Established Relationship, F/M, No Apotheosis AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:08:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24408508</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinWritesChirps/pseuds/RobinWritesChirps</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Paul gets coffee from Beanie’s for him and Bill, but mostly for a few minutes with his new significant other − it’ll be a while before Emma agrees to boyfriendhood. </p><p>Prompt fill from Tumblr: the taste of almonds. Established Paulkins.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>An extra treat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Paul never stopped going to Beanie’s after Emma became a lot more than a barista to him. If anything, the trips were even more frequent now that there was more at key than a little floating dream. Of course, he kept a straight face for fear her boss would catch them chatting or flirting, as Nora had an idea that work was for working and that anything unrelated to Emma’s job had no place at Beanie’s. Of course, he still tipped and didn’t clutter her time with mindless talk when she had a line after him. It was a short break of relief for both of them, just a minute or two to see each other’s faces during the day and not much more, but to him it still meant everything. He didn’t know for sure how she felt about it. There was a lot about Emma Perkins he had not yet decrypted, but the work was every day in progress. Her eyes spoke volumes, though.</p><p>"Oh, cry me a river, I’ll make it again then, it’s not like I have other customers to serve!"</p><p>Paul smiled already, barely stepping foot into Beanie’s to hear her berate yet another customer. He listened a little longer and thought he understood the situation as Emma having poured the extra-complicated latte decoction in the wrong order − twice. Now onto her third attempt at the same drink, she was all frowns and bites. Guiltily, he liked that a little. Not knowing her upset and angry, of course, but how blunt and rude she could get when she was so. Emma was always bolder than him in all dispositions, whether content or displeased. He had admired that long before her little share of happiness had become entwined with his.</p><p>"What a bitch," the man muttered on his way out with the order finally poured in his preferred order of things.</p><p>Paul stopped himself from making a scene, though he glared at the offender nearly as furiously as Emma herself did. As there was a crowd, she had little time to linger on it, though her irritation carried onto the rest of the line, finding fault in every customer before Paul finally reached the front. Only then, she smiled softly, exhaustedly.</p><p>"Hey," she said and their hands brushed secretively against each other on the counter − you never knew when Nora was lurking and waiting. "Black coffee?"</p><p>He nodded and enjoyed the touch while it lasted, a few seconds of bliss.</p><p>"Yeah, and a caramel frapp’ and two chocolate chips cookies," he said, remembering Bill for once. "Please."</p><p>"Right away," she said and Paul for the hundredth time noted with adoration just how differently she addressed him with a kindness that seemed absent from any other interaction and especially with other customers.</p><p>She prepared the orders conscientiously and he waited till her back was turned to drop a five dollar into the tip jar. Emma still heard it and turned her head to give him a wink. Paul smiled. If he had dared to imagine himself in this relationship mere months ago, he might have sneered at his own foolish hopes and dreams. He had, actually. Even now, he could barely believe that such a woman had taken to liking him. He had never believed in anything, much less in himself, yet whenever Emma looked at him with any tenderness, he believed in all sorts of miracles.</p><p>"Shit," she said just as she was about to hand him his order. "We're out of chocolate chips. Is nuts alright?"</p><p>Paul wasn’t the sweetest tooth, not like Bill who would be the only one disappointed by the change. Bill was also a sweet person himself, however, and if he did notice the swap of the order, he would never say a word.</p><p>"Sure," he said and passed Emma the amount as she pointed to on the little screen.</p><p>He went back to work, if he really had to. The coffee tasted better when Emma served it to him, he always thought. It tasted like shit, of course, flavorless at best and too bitter most days, but it was nectar when it came from her hands. He smiled at his own little poetic mind and trotted across the hall to avoid Ted.</p><p>"Oh, thank you Paul," Bill said kindly, relieving him of his paper cup and taking a sip with unveiled delight. "You say it’s a bunch of chemicals and artificial syrups, but to me it still tastes great, you know."</p><p>"Uh huh," Paul said.</p><p>He gave him the first pick of cookie from the paper bag and hesitated as to the second one. Hazelnuts and almonds. He hated the taste of almonds.</p><p>"Charlotte, do you want it?"</p><p>Charlotte startled. She had been looking somewhat under the weather all week for whichever of the many reasons that kept Charlotte unhappy. She stared at Paul, then at the small paper bag he held up and slowly took it.</p><p>"Thank you," she said in a soft low voice. "I love almonds."</p><p>He had the simple plan of sipping his coffee throughout the morning till it ran cold. He would fill up his mind with the recent good memories of Emma's pretty eyes, distract himself from the job he cared little about, dream a little till the last drop. Then he might give a little more of himself into the work. Maybe.</p><p>He had barely taken two sips that Charlotte interrupted him with a gentle tap at his shoulder.</p><p>"Erm, Paul, I think… this was meant for you…"</p><p>He frowned, but grabbed the now empty paper bag she was holding out for him. Charlotte’s cheeks were blushing crimson as she went back to her desk without crossing his eyes. He wondered if embarrassment was better than apathy from her, but shook his head. It was none of his business and he hardly cared anyways. He looked down at the bag and might have blushed even deeper than Charlotte then. There was a note sharpied on it.</p><p>
  <em>im so fucking sick of work today, can u come over tonight and rail me till i can’t walk, thanks xxx emma</em>
</p><p>There was a heart hastily drawn next to it, though it was upside down and, Paul thought, perhaps not meant as a heart at all. Panicked, he glanced at Charlotte but she was staring so very assiduously at her computer screen he didn’t think she would look up to see him fret. In fact, he wondered if she would ever talk to him again.</p><p>At least that note was another something to daydream about.</p>
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